Army’s sailing expedition begins final leg from Goa
PANAJI: After surviving Cyclone Gaja and several other challenges, Indian Army’s first-ever Indian Peninsula Wind Sailing Expedition entered its final leg after reaching the Goa coast .
The voyage aboard 44-feet-long German-built SV Frama was kicked off on October 21 from Haldia Port near Kolkata, and will end on November 30. From Goa, it will head for Porbandar in Gujarat, the final destination.
The penultimate leg of the journey was flagged off from Goa by Brigadier A K Sharma the commander of the Goa-based Signals Training Centre on Thursday. The final two legs will take the sailors to Mumbai and from there to Porbandar in Gujarat.
The expedition of officers from the Electronics and Mechanical Engineers wing of the Army which set off from the Haldia in West Bengal on October 18. Major Alok Kumar Yadav who is leading the expedition, said they hope to inspire the spirit of adventure among younger enthusiasts in the Indian Army, besides being the first team to achieve the feat. “It is the first time someone is attempting the feat on a sailboat. We began the expedition at Haldia which is 21 degree North latitude and hope to complete the journey at Porbandar which is also 21 degree north latitude,” Maj Yadav said.
The trip is not one continuous sail as it involved nine port calls including Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Mangalore. A total of 55 officers have taken part in the sailing. With the tumultuous Bay of Bengal behind them and the final two legs involving the calmer Arabian Sea, the team expects it will be a smooth sail.
“We negotiated and had to avoid three cyclones... The East Coast has fewer natural harbours and the weather is rough with cyclones throughout the year...,” said Major Yadav.